


Good Food

by HelloStarTea



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chronic Illness, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-04-17 04:59:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14181246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloStarTea/pseuds/HelloStarTea
Summary: Series of Short StoriesGai is distressed when he learns his brilliant student is cursed with a genetic condition that makes getting the right nutrition harder than ever. So, he introduces Neji to a clan renown for their love of food and unknowingly, introduces him to someone else.





	1. The Issue! Enter Hamai!

I paced around the tiny examination room, a room not even big enough to take five steps in either direction and getting smaller by the second. I never liked hospitals, despite my frequent visits, and I liked them even less when I wasn't the one on the examination table.

"Sensei, you can leave."

"I would never!" I turned back to my precious student and the judgmental look in his white eyes. "I don't want to leave! I am just... itching to get back outside. Get you some fresh air, stretch your legs and stuff like that! Get your blood pumping! It'll do you some good!"

Neji huffed. "That is literally why I am here."

I sighed and sat down next to him. "I know, I know... I just don't know what's happening, Neji. I'm so sorry."

"You aren't a doctor, sensei. If you were, that would be much more concerning."

I tried to laugh at my student's strange sense of humor, but I couldn't manage much. My leg started bouncing. I looked at the clock again. It was clearly broken.

"Sensei. It's been ten minutes."

"Yeah, but how long could it possibly take to look at a couple drops of blood!"

"It was more than a couple drops."

"I know, I know..." I got queasy just remembering it. The nurse had taken four vials of it from my precious student, who was so tiny that it must have been half of what he could spare. More, perhaps, as he had passed out twice despite lying down during the whole procedure. I had to wonder what kind of doctor would order blood draws from a kid who had been admitted for fainting spells anyway. Maybe I should have asked for a different one.

There was a knock on the door and Neji's hand came out to stop me before I could jump up. I lowered myself back down - for his comfort- and waited for the door to open. The nurse walked back in with a tight smile on her face. I didn't like it. It was fake. I knew it, Neji knew it, we all knew it.

"Thank you for your patience. I'm sorry for the wait. Gai-san? Would you care to step outside with me, for a moment?"

My heart hit the roof of my mouth. "I would not. There can't be anything to say to me that can't be said in front of my student! It's his blood!"

"I... Of course. I understand. But, perhaps it would be easier for us if..." The nurse politely let the phrase drift off.

I shook my head and scooted my chair closer to Neji with a squeal. "My student and I both need to know what's happening. We can save time if we hear it together and move forward into his glorious recovery that much sooner!"

"Of... of course." The nurse closed the door behind her. She sat down in front of us, her clipboard in her hand. She looked at Neji. "Neji-kun, I understand what has happened to you has been frightening. It is scary to have something going on with your body you don't understand-"

"Get to the point."

I subtly pinched Neji's leg.

"Please."

The nurse was getting visibly flustered by our combined noncooperation. She turned her attention to her notes, and stated, "The... there is good news. Your blood work came back clean, so there are no signs of an underlying disease or illness that is causing your symptoms."

I breathed an audible sigh of relief as my heart dropped back into my chest. A cold rush of adrenaline released into my body and I got a little light-headed myself. The list of horrific conditions I had been listing off in my head faded away.

"However."

My throat closed up again.

"We are concerned with your weight. Your blood work showed low blood sugar levels and many vitamin deficiencies, and we are concerned those causes may be linked to each other. Would you be comfortable answering some more questions for us?"

Neji nodded.

I nodded, too.

"How often do you eat?"

"Three times a day!" I answered, quickly. "And snacks! All on a specific diet for growing shinobi, full of carbohydrates and essential vitamins for the very best performance!"

"I thought as much, but Neji? Are you eating it?"

"What? Of course he is! Why wo-" I stopped. I thought back to this afternoon, when we had all stopped for an early lunch following the weakness that had preceded the fainting spell that landed us here. I thought hard about it, thinking about how Tenten and Lee had shoveled their food into their mouths with gusto - and gotten their hands into Neji's. My heart stopped. Surely Neji wasn't-!

"Neji?"

"Don't sound like that, sensei. I am not starving myself. I cannot finish those lunches you prepare. They are just too much."

My eyebrows met. "That... that doesn't make sense. Your teammates can finish them and then some. You are a growing boy, Neji! You should be eating more!"

"That is... what we suspected." The nurse spoke to me this time. "There is a... disposition among the members of the Hyuuga clan. It is a noted condition. The symptoms are a persistent lack of appetite, low body mass indexes and inefficiency in digestion. It is not clear why it happens yet, but it is a trend among most of his family and it requires a more... persistent approach. It is not something he will grow out of, and it is critical in this time to mitigate the damage it can cause if he fails to meet his nutritional needs."

My anger rose suddenly and I stood up. “If it’s a trend, then why is this the first I’ve heard of it! That should have been in his profile! This should have been something I was told from the beginning!”

The nurse quailed. “I-it… it’s unusual for… for this to be an issue so late in life. T-typically, this issue has been mitigated by… the… the…”

“The what? The Academy? The doctors? The teacher?!”

“The parents…”

My heart stopped. All of the air was sucked from the room, replaced by a heavy silence that crushed me until I could not form the words that my mouth was trying to make. I turned back to Neji, who was still perfectly unreadable.

His knuckles were white.

“I… understand this is difficult, but there are many options for treatment.” The nurse pulled papers off her clipboard and handed them to me. “It may be more difficult to implement now that habits have been formed and his training has gotten more rigorous, but it is entirely possible. His current condition may inhibit his ability to train for long periods or go out on long missions for now, but with time, he will be able to live a healthy life as a shinobi.”

I nodded. I looked at the papers in my hands, but I couldn’t read what was on them. The words seemed to mean nothing at all.

“I’m sorry I don’t have better news. This is not something that can be fixed in one day. It will be a long process.” The nurse stood up and gave us a polite bow. “You may take as much time as you need and check out at the front desk whenever you are ready.”

I think I said thank you when she left, but I wasn’t present. I sat back down next to my student. Neither of us said anything. What was there to say?

“I’m sorry.” My own words felt like rocks in my throat. “I… I didn’t know…”

“I didn’t know either.”

His voice was so soft, it brought tears to my eyes. I wiped them away and turned to him. “Don’t worry, Neji. We may have gotten a late start, but we’ve got guts and determination. We’ll get you healthy again in no time. So how about it? Ready to work hard and charge past your limitations?”

Neji nodded.

So, we tried. Oh, did we try. The entire team was in on it. Tenten and Lee got enthusiastically behind his recovery. Smaller, more frequent meals were recommended, so they adjusted to it with him. They stopped taking from his plate and encouraged him to persist even when he felt he couldn’t eat anymore. I went beyond just writing out recommendations and began preparing Neji’s meals myself. Large breakfasts and dinners, with several small lunches. I even went as far as to promote a challenge between my students to find small, calorie rich foods that could be eaten in one bite.

Tenten went for quantity. She brought a concoction I’d never seen before (probably because she made it up). She took a pat of butter, dipped it in heavy cream and egg, rolled it in cake crumbs, fried it, then dipped it in chocolate and put powdered sugar on it. She brought four pieces and once I tried it, I found out why. It was so rich, even I felt sick after eating it. The idea was not continued.

Lee had gone for quality. He had dehydrated several fruits and vegetables, then pressed them together under the heavy weights in the Konoha Shinobi Training Center. While the result was a small cube of… something, I had seen several shinobi using those weights who had clearly gone too long between washing their hands and I was fairly sure the weights themselves had never been cleaned. So while I praised Lee for his creativity, nobody ate those.

But despite all of our efforts and enthusiasm, it was not working. Neji’s dizziness, his weakness, his fainting spells persisted. Worse, Neji began getting sick. He was unable to continue training after eating without vomiting. We tried over and over to find out how long it would take before he could, but once we reached the 30-minute mark, we agreed it was too long. We tried to find other things, easier training regimes that would not trigger the reaction, but it seemed like even the simplest things would set it off.

So we tried even smaller, even more frequent meals, yet it got frustrating for everyone very quickly and I was at a loss. It seemed like Neji’s condition was getting worse and worse. He seemed to be sitting out longer and longer, unable to keep up with his teammates or with me. It weighed heavy on my heart that I was so helpless to stop it.

So, I sought professional help.

“Sensei! Sensei!” I banged loudly on a tall door that towered above me. “Sensei!”

The door slid open and a man that stood a head taller than me stepped out. He caught my fist before it hit him in the chest. “Hey, hey, come on, Gai. I heard you the first time. Where’s the fire?”

I stared up at him. Tears welled in my eyes. “Chouza-sensei… I’m a bad teacher…!”

“What? What makes you say that?”

“I’m killing my student!”

“Oh.” Chouza scratched his neck and offered, “Have you tried not doing that?”

I started crying. I couldn’t help it. Tears spilled down my cheeks and I just could not stop it.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Chouza took my shoulders and led me inside. He took me to the dining room, the most central room in his home and the most familiar to me.  
I sat down at his table and let my head hit the hard wood with a thunk. I was aware I was crying in silence, but it was too late to compose myself now. The stress and the guilt were eating me alive, and it was either let it out or let it consume me.

It wasn’t until this absolutely wonderful smell began wafting in from the kitchen that I had the strength to raise my head again. I wiped my eyes and my face, trying to pull it together again. When my old teacher returned, he had a large tray piled high with food. He sat down next to me and put it between us.

“Alright, Gai,” Chouza offered me a roll the size of my hand. It was still warm. “Tell me what’s going on. Why do you think you’re killing your student? And which one is it?”

“It’s Neji.” I tore off a piece of the soft, fluffy roll, stuffing it into my mouth and talking around it. “He is starving to death and I don’t know what to do.”

“Neji’s the Hyuuga, right?” Chouza ripped open a bag of shrimp snacks and began working his way to the bottom. “The little one? Hizashi’s boy? Smart as a whip?”

“Yes.”

“He’s got those troublesome genes, doesn’t he? I’m guessing that’s what the problem is?”

“See?! Even you know! I didn’t know! Everyone seemed to know this was a problem but me!” I felt the tears start again and I ate more bread. “No one told Neji either. He was blind-sided by this. Nobody told him his body was just going to start rejecting food someday. Nobody said anything, nobody helped him when it was easy to fix. This problem never should have come to me!”

“But it did.”

“Yeah, but it shouldn’t have. I mean, what kind of family just knowingly lets this happen?” I finished my roll and grabbed another. “Hiashi had to have known this was going to come up! Why did he not do anything? Why didn’t he assign anyone to take care of Neji? Why did no one step up to help?”

Chouza sighed in a defeated sort of way, the way everyone seemed to sigh whenever I brought this up. “The Hyuuga clan has a list of internal issues longer than their history, and it is not the hill you should die on just yet. Neji’s health is the problem right now, and we should focus on that.”

“You’re right, but I don’t know how. Sensei, I’m failing miserably. I don’t know what to do anymore. He can’t keep up with training, he’s always sick, and I fear he’s just wasting away to nothing. I don’t know what I can do.” I stuffed the last bite into my mouth. “I’ve tried everything. Bigger meals, smaller meals, more often, less often, more vegetables, less vegetables, less meat, more meat, more sugar, more carbs, less-! Everything! Nothing is working.”

“Nothing, huh?” Chouza crumpled the empty bag of chips up and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. “Well, the Main Branch does tend to have a more intense case of this problem. Neji’s only a single generation away from it. He might just not be capable of training as intensely as you do.”

“Don’t say that, Chouza-sensei!” I cried. “There has to be something you can do! No one knows how to feed a shinobi like you! Look at me! I’m a machine! I can train for days!”

Chouza laughed, his belly shaking. “Well, you’re right about that. You ate like one of us when you were my student.”

I tried to laugh with him, but I couldn’t. All I could think about was Neji. “Please, sensei. Help me save my student. I can’t bear watching him suffer like this.”

Chouza put his hand to his chin, rubbing his fingers across it. “Well, if nothing you’ve tried worked, then I’m afraid I’ve got nothing to offer. You took all my teachings to heart.”

My heart sank and tears filled my eyes again. I grabbed another roll.

“Now, now! Hold on a second, don’t start crying yet.” Chouza took a slice of bread from the tray and took a bite out of it. “I don’t have anything, but I know a professional dietitian who specializes in problem shinobi.”

I lit up like a candle. “Really?! Introduce me! I will do anything! I need them!”

“Well, hang around. She’ll be home in a little bit.”

“Home? You mean…?!”

As if she had been summoned, Hamai Akimichi strolled through the door holding piles of grocery bags.

Chouza rushed to relieve her, scooping the bags from her arms. “Welcome back, my love. How was the market?”

“Oh, it was fine, for an emergency trip.” The large woman turned her head so Chouza could kiss her cheek. “I wish I’d been able to go this morning. The produce is so much fresher.”

“There’s always tomorrow. By the way, Gai’s here. We were hoping you’d be able to help him out with a problem he’s having.”

“Oh?” Hamai looked over to me. Her face lit up. “Gai! How are you? It’s been too long!”

“Hamai!” I rushed from my seat, tossing my arms around her and lifting her up. “Am I glad to see you!”

“It’s good to see you, too!” Hamai laughed, as I twirled her around. “Now what’s all this? What do you need?”

“Gai is having trouble with his student’s nutrition.” Chouza explained, walking into the kitchen to put the bags away. “Says he can’t keep up with his training.”

“Oh? What’s the matter?”

I had explained this a thousand times by now, but now it felt like it was getting somewhere. I put my teacher’s wife back on her feet, explaining, “He can’t eat enough to keep up. He wants to train really hard, but he gets sick when he eats too much, and too much is like two bites! I’ve tried everything. He’s going to waste away to nothing!”

“Oh no. That’s not good. Has he been checked out by a doctor? No illness? No problems?”

“He’s a Hyuuga!” Chouza called out.

The realization came over Hamai’s face and she suddenly looked very, very sad. “Oh, I see…”

I clasped my hands. “Please, Hamai. Chouza says you’re a miracle worker.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say all that. I am a dietitian.” Hamai put her hand under her chin and looked me over. “And you’ve tried everything?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“I’m going to need a list. Everything you’ve tried, his meal plans, his training schedules, your regimes, as much as you can get me.”

“Anything you need! I will get it to you before you go shopping tomorrow morning! No! I’ll get it to you tonight! Before sundown!”

“Whenever you can. I also want to see your student. What’s his name?”

“Neji. He’s my precious student, and he’s very dedicated! He can be a little moody and… uncooperative, but he’ll do whatever you say, I promise! He wants to get better!”

“Let’s set up a time.”

We did. Three days later, Neji and I were walking into the Akimichi clan’s compound. I was excited, full of the vim and vigor of life and pumped full of confidence. Neji was… Neji. Composed, skeptical and wary of this new person.

“Sensei.”

“Yes, precious?”

“This is a hopeless endeavor.”

“You say that, but you haven’t met Hamai-san yet. She is a professional.” I stepped up to the head home of the Akimichi and watched as Neji stepped up beside me. “Please be nice to her. She’s a good friend of mine, and she just wants to help.”

“I make no promises.”

“Neji, please. For me.”

There was a pause between us. Neji turned away. “Yes, sensei.”

I reached up to knock on the door, but I hesitated. I looked down at Neji. “Are… are you going to want me here?”

“Do you want to leave?”

“No, I want to stay. More than anything. I want to be here every step of the way and help you any way I can. But I understand if you want some privacy.”

“I do.”

I sighed and nodded. “I understand. Let me just introduce you, okay?”

“Sensei.”

“Yes, Neji?”

“It’s not personal.”

“I know.”

I knocked on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

When Gai-sensei had told me that he had found me a 'dietitian', I had fully expected it to be a more... holistic and spiritual kind of dietitian, the one who believed in positive thinking and essential oils. The fact I was being brought to a home and not an office seemed to confirm my suspicions, and I was prepared to humor my teacher, but nothing more.

Hamai-sensei was not an herbalist.

Hamai-sensei was a medic.

Hamai-sensei made it very clear that this was not going to be a singular event, that she and I would be seeing each other on a daily basis until her instructions were ingrained into my being and I was capable of applying her knowledge as well as she could. She did not coddle me as Gai-sensei tended to. She did not waste her breath pitying me, and she left no room for debate or argument. Our first visit - and the visits subsequent - were rigid and structured. She treated me like a soldier - and I appreciated that.

Hamai-sensei knew more about food and how it affected the body than anyone I had ever met or any book I had ever read. She expected me to know as well, and I found myself with homework more difficult than anything I had received in the Academy. She clearly had expectations of my intellect, and though I was challenged with the complex material that was so far from my areas of expertise, I was better than to come in below her expectations. I did the readings. I did the assignments. I came to our appointments, on time, every time, directly after training every day of the week.

As time went on, however... I realized the way Hamai-sensei presented herself to me was not the person she presented to others. When the two week mark came along and Gai-sensei could not help himself any longer, he came with me to my appointment. Hamai-sensei changed completely when she was talking to us both, and when she was updating him on my progress. As she spoke about me to my teacher, I was disconcerted at how much she inflated my progress and said such saccharine things about me. While I was taken aback by her change in demeanor, it occurred to me that she was likely giving Gai-sensei what he wanted to hear.

When he left, she returned to her strict regime.

We worked in silence, broken only by her instructions that were firm and direct. Things became rhythmic again- almost meditative- as the meal began to come together and the kitchen was enveloped in rich scents-

"Mom! Mom, what smells so good?!"

I jolted out of my trance at the unwelcome interruption. I turned around as Hamai-sensei did, just in time to see some kid come tumbling through the door.

"Hello, Choji!" Hamai-sensei exclaimed, turning to greet the boy. "You're home late. Did you get into any more trouble at school?"

"No- I mean, I did, but it wasn't me. It was..." The boy's words trailed off as his eyes fell on me. His mouth shut and suddenly his eyes were glued to the floor.

"Oh, Choji. Dear, this is Neji. He's one of my patients."

If the boy said anything, it was mumbled beyond recognition. I frowned and offered a polite, if shallow bow. "It's nice to meet you, Choji-san."

He mumbled something else, then backed out of the kitchen and disappeared into the house.

Hamai shook her head with a click of her tongue. "You'll have to excuse Choji. He can be a little shy around strangers. He's in his last year at the Academy, you know."

"I see." I turned my eyes back to my work, reaching back for that rhythm-

"He's only a year or two younger than you. You may get along."

"I have two teammates."

"You can never have too many friends."

"You have not met my teammates."

Hamai snorted and laughed.

I was not joking.

When our appointment time ended, my stations were clear and clean, the prepared food was packed and portioned for the next day, and I had my assignments for the night. I stood by the entrance of the kitchen awaiting the conclusion of Hamai's thorough inspection, and once she was satisfied, I was dismissed. With a bow, I gathered my things and left her. As I retrieved my shoes, the door to the house was tossed open and I was nearly trampled by the boy running inside. He stopped just short of stomping on my feet, and reeled back.

"S-sorry! Sorry, I didn't-! I didn't see you."

I looked over this stuttering boy in front of me. The same boy who had interrupted me before. I remained unimpressed. Short and stocky, characteristic of the Akimichi family. Wild, unkempt hair. Plain clothes. Downcast eyes. Unassuming in every way.

His eyes came up, but he could not meet mine. They were off somewhere to the side. "Sorry. It... it's Neji, right?"

I stared at him until his eyes went down again.

"Yes. Neji Hyuuga."

"Oh. Y-yeah? I... I figured because of the... the eyes..." His voice trailed off and his eyes wandered around. He scuffed the floor with his shoe.

"What do you need from me?"

"Nothing! Nothing! I just-"

"Then you'll excuse me."

I walked past him without a second glance.


	3. A Chat

"Shikamaru, can I ask you something?"

There was a groan from across the room. "If it's about the homework, I don't know. I mean, I probably do know, but I really don't care. Just turn in what you have."

"It's not about the homework - I gave up on that. It's got barbecue sauce on it anyway." I slid my finger around the edge of my take-out box. "Do you know anything about the Hyuuga?"

"I know they're snobs, but that's about it."

"Okay."

"Why? Did you run into one?"

"Kind of..." I sucked the sauce off my finger. "My mom's got a new client, that's all... I don't think he likes me."

"Who cares if an old man doesn't like you?"

"He's not old, that's the weird part. All of my mom's clients are older shinobi, but this guy is just a kid. He's like my age. I think. Maybe he's younger, I don't know. He's pretty short."

"A kid, huh? Something must be wrong with him." Shikamaru snorted and laughed. "I mean, what else could drag a Hyuuga down from their lofty pedestal to talk to a normal person?"

"That's mean, Shikamaru. Hinata's a Hyuuga and she's really nice. She lends me pencils like... every day. She doesn't even ask for them back. I've never returned any of them." I paused. "Y'know, saying that outloud sounds really bad. I should bring her some pencils."

"The Hyuuga are loaded, she probably has fifty in her bag right now. Now tell me about this kid and why it matters so much that he doesn't like you."

"I don't know. I guess because he's in my house?"

"That's a dumb reason."

"I don't know. I guess I thought it'd be nice to have two friends instead of one, but I don't know. I don't think Neji wants anything to do with me."

Shikamaru choked like someone had hit him in the guts. I turned around just as he shouted, "I'm sorry, what? Neji?!"

"Yeah? What about him?"

"That was that Hyuuga kid that graduated last semester! Remember?"

I pretended to think back, but I honestly didn't remember anything. I shook my head.

Shikamaru put up his hands with a cringe. "All I can say is 'yikes'. Just avoid him. It's better that he doesn't like you."

"Why? What's so bad about him?"

"You need to pay more attention when people aren't talking to you. In one year, that guy made four teachers quit and reduced his class size to seven. I wanna say they passed him to get him out of the school, but I've heard he's just that good. Like scary good. Like his teachers could not stand against him kind of good."

"Shikamaru, that's silly. No kid is that good."

"He is, but like... it's different." Shikamaru laid back down on the bed. There was a pause, then he asked, "Did you know the suicide rate among students went up over 87% while he was here?"

"Shikamaru! That's a terrible thing to say!"

"It's true, though. Some of the teachers suspect they weren't all suicides, either."

"Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru threw his arms up. "I'm just saying! Don't get mixed up with this kid. I mean, I don't know gossip from facts, but I've heard a lot of stories from a lot of people all saying the same thing. Besides. You've got to think about what it was that made the Hyuuga break tradition and send one of their own to the Academy. We all know what happened with Hinata, but nobody knows what happened with Neji."

I didn't have a response to that. I just looked down in my empty container and tried not to notice the gaping hole that was forming under my stomach. I didn't want to believe Shikamaru, but he had always been so right about everything.

"Don't think about it too hard, Choji."

"I'm not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short, but I didn't want to tack it on to another chapter. So I guess...?


End file.
